Walk into any gym on any day of the week and you’ll see the same thing: people working hard, sweating, grinding… and looking exactly the same month after month. It’s not because they’re lazy. It’s not because they “don’t want it bad enough.” It’s because most people are following workouts with no structure, no progression, and no real purpose.
The fitness industry has done a great job of convincing people that the secret to results is hidden inside the newest influencer routine, the latest 30‑day challenge, or whatever flashy exercise is trending this week. But here’s the truth:
If your training isn’t built on real principles, it doesn’t matter how motivated you are — you won’t see meaningful progress.
1. People Don’t Follow a Program — They Follow Their Mood
Most gym‑goers “wing it.” They show up, pick whatever exercises sound good that day, and hope for the best.
The problem? Your body doesn’t adapt to randomness.
Muscle grows when you give it a consistent, repeatable stimulus that gradually increases over time. If your workouts change every week, or you’re just doing whatever feels fun, your body has nothing to adapt to.
Training without a program is like trying to save money without a budget. You might get lucky, but you won’t get far.
2. They Don’t Track Anything
If you don’t know what you lifted last week, how do you know what to lift this week?
Progressive overload — the foundation of muscle growth — requires you to change something over time:
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Weight
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Reps/Sets
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Time under tension/Tempo
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Range of motion
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Stability demands
- Rest time
But you can’t progress what you don’t measure.
Most people are stuck because they’re repeating the same weights, the same reps, and the same effort every workout. They’re maintaining, not progressing.
One of the laws of the universe is "If something isn't growing, It's dying."
3. They Chase Exhaustion Instead of Progress
There’s a huge difference between a workout that leaves you tired and a workout that makes you better.
A lot of people think the goal is to feel destroyed when they leave the gym. That's a great workout, but not sustainable. If every workout is 10/10 difficulty your body won't have time to fully recover between workouts which will raise cortisol levels and lead to fatigue.
Fatigue is not the goal. Adaptation is the goal.
A well‑designed program will challenge you, yes — but it won’t bury you. It will push you just enough to stimulate growth, then allow you to recover so you can come back stronger.
4. They Don’t Give Their Program Enough Time
People jump from program to program every few weeks because they get bored, or they don’t see instant results, or they think something else might work better. I call this Program ADD.
But your body needs time to adapt. Strength takes time. Muscle takes time. Skill takes time (and repetition)
If you’re constantly switching routines, you’re constantly resetting your progress.
You don’t need a new program — you need to stick to the one you’re on long enough for it to work.
5. Their Nutrition Doesn’t Match Their Goals
You can train perfectly and still stall if your nutrition is all over the place.
Trying to build muscle? You need enough protein and enough calories.
Trying to lose fat? You need a consistent calorie deficit.
Trying to perform better? You need fuel — not starvation.
Most people are either undereating without realizing it, overeating without realizing it, or eating inconsistently enough that their body never gets the signal it needs.
You don’t need a complicated diet. You just need a purposeful one.
6. They Don’t Understand the Difference Between “Working Out” and “Training”
Working out is what most people do. Training is the process of working through that specific program we covered that's tailored to your goals and your capabilities and your schedule and your recovery (but I digress)
Macrocycle: 12 week program to add 10-20lb to your bench press.
Mesocycle: Each month dedicated to either form/stability, power/speed, or strength/structural lifts
Microcycle: 'Week 1' focus vs 'Day 1' or 'Day 2" focus
If you want to change your body, your strength, your confidence, or your performance, you need to train — not just exercise.
So… How Do You Fix All This?
You fix it by doing the opposite of what the average gym‑goer does.
Here’s the simple formula:
1. Follow a real program
Not a random workout. Not a TikTok routine. A structured plan built around progression.
Don't know what that looks like? ASK! Ask someone who has the experience like a gym buddy who has earned the results you want to, or better yet, reach out to a fitness professional like myself.
2. Track your lifts
Write them down. Use an app. Use a notebook. Just track something.
I'm an Excel nerd with my programs and tracking but some of my favorite apps have been JEFIT and Boostcamp.
3. Progress on purpose
Before committing to a program, make sure there is obvious progressive overload being used.
Look for increase (or decrease) in sets/reps, percentage of 1RM, Rest time, etc.
(but here's the key) commit to those changes religiously, because that's the not-so-secret sauce of a great program.
4. Stick with your program long enough to see results
Four to eight weeks minimum. Twelve is even better.
Even if it is just a 4-week program, you can repeat that program several times, as long as you compare your first time through and push yourself more the second time in some way using progressive overload strategies.
5. Align your nutrition with your goal
Eat like someone who wants the results you’re chasing.
Regardless of your goal, your diet needs to prioritize
- Protein
- Calorie deficit/surplus
- Hydration
- Complex carbs
- Healthy fats
- Vitamin/minerals
6. Train with Intention
Every set has a purpose. Every rep has a purpose. You’re not just moving — you’re building.
If it's one of those days when your head just isn't in the game, remember to ask yourself, "Why did I start this program?" "What is the focus for this month, week or day?" or even "What would it cost me if I gave up now?"
Motivation is fleeting, but Leverage and Drive is why we develop good (or bad) habits.
My goal is simple:
Help people train smarter, get stronger, and finally see the results they’ve been chasing.
If you’re tired of spinning your wheels, you’re in the right place.